Excellence is not an act…but a habit. -Aristotle
We are a direct result of our daily habits whether we like it or not. We have earned the situation in life that we are in through our repeated actions. We have to make the choice to throw away excuses, not give up when the going is tough and break through our self imposed limitations to be the best we can be. We need to develop the habit of excellence. Our success and failure is a direct result of what we repeatedly do. Therefore, we have to train ourselves to succeed. This is done by never accepting failure as final. When something bad happens or we are challenged, we have to teach ourselves to push forward, learn and get better from it.. This is uncomfortable, but necessary to rise above the crowd. When we determine in our mind that we are not capable or not good enough, we are right. We have to train ourselves to persist through all circumstances with positive action and the knowledge that we are destined to achieve our goals.
Positive action means we make it our obligation and responsibility to be successful. By doing what we are supposed to in life and being responsible and disciplined in our actions, we become the master of our fate. We get better when we concern ourselves with what we should and need to do. When positive action is our duty, good things happen and we climb to new heights in our life. Not only do we improve ourselves with this mindset, we set the example for others and become a strong leader.
When positive action becomes a habit, excellence follows, and we begin to become leaders. Positive action challenges and inspires others, and we create a positive and winning culture. When we break through our limitations and succeed, others see it and follow this lead. When we choose to act positively in all circumstances, we make a difference. The world is full of people with great ideas and opinions, it is changed by people that transform their beliefs into action and do something. Be a positive example by making excellence a habit.
Joe Dimaggio, the Yankee great, set the example. DiMaggio was the Tom Brady of his time. He was the best player on the best professional sports team in the world. He was married to the most beautiful woman in the world (for a while). He set a record that still stands today by hitting safely in 56 consecutive games. He had it all, and he set the example of how to play the game. Excellence was a habit in the way he played.
DiMaggio was known for playing the game extremely hard. One example of this was that Joe ran out every hit ball at full speed. When he hit a routine ground ball, popped up, or flew out, he ran as hard as he did when he got a base hit. When he was asked about this, he told reporters that it was his obligation to do so. He owed it to his team and to the people that paid money to watch him play to give his best effort for the entire game.
This is what set Dimaggio apart from the average player and made him great. I am sure there were players with similar talent, but no one felt obligated to be the best as much as Joe. He made it his duty to give his best effort every at bat. Excellence was his habit. He didn’t clamp limitations; he went to work and played to the best of his ability every day. That is why he is considered one of the greatest players in the history of baseball.
When we demand excellence, we don’t allow ourselves to clamp self imposed limits on what we can do. We grow past our perceived abilities and tap into our unlimited potential. To tap into this potential and achieve excellence, we have to raise our standards to meet our goals.
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